County Jail inmate dies after being found unresponsive in cell

Details were vague Wednesday following the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office’s announcement that a young County Jail inmate had died of unknown causes early that morning.

Josey Richard Meche, 28, died alone in his cell about an hour after he was booked for a minor offense, the Sheriff’s Office said late Wednesday in a news release.

Meche—whom the office called a transient— was booked into jail by the San Luis Obispo Police Department on suspicion of resisting arrest at approximately 11:26 p.m. Tuesday.

About an hour later, jail staff discovered Meche unresponsive on the cell floor and responded with medical aid including the use of CPR and an automatic electronic defibrillator, authorities said.

He was transported by ambulance to Sierra Vista Medical Center in San Luis Obispo where he died a short time later, according to the news release, which does not say what his condition was at the time of transport, nor the time of death.

Meche did not complain of any medical condition and was cooperative with correctional staff at the time of his booking. He was alone in a cell during his hour in custody, authorities said.

A Sheriff’s Office spokesman was not available for additional questions Wednesday, and a sergeant at the county jail said the office could not comment further. A San Luis Obispo Police Department representative was not immediately available for additional information on Meche’s alleged offense.

The Coroner’s Office is investigating Meche’s death and will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

This story was originally published March 12, 2014 at 6:04 PM with the headline "County Jail inmate dies after being found unresponsive in cell."